is windows 7 any good, purchased a laptop the end of last year with vista and don't like it as compared to xp?. tried to get the release client but microsoft's download page is jammed solid. I've read good reviews so if microsoft charge a reasonable upgrade price then might take the plunge.
@alchobot - yes, our impressions of Windows 7 are very good. I've been using it (first the beta, then the RC) as my primary OS for 6 months now. It may take a little getting used but - to coin a phrase - "it just works". It's also very nimble, has great backwards compatibility and really represents everything Vista should have been. From everything I've seen so far I'd suggest you go for.
I'm considering buying it at some point next year when I build a new PC but I probably won't upgrade my current PC as I have no trouble with Vista Ultimate. How is it on netbooks though? Does it run as smoothly as XP? If it does I might get it for my NC10, if not though I'll just stick to XP.
@Wesley: I've no problem running W7 on my MSI Wind. It's easily as fast as XP. Upgrading to 2GB RAM, though, makes a big difference. Since I made the upgrade, W7 just flies.
For the average punter its offers no advantages over XP and is slower. I wouldn't waste a penny upgrading an XP system to it. However compared to Vista it is a tangible improvement (though had I already forked out for Vista they wouldn't be getting a bean out of me to upgrade).
@Leo - The following was a quote from an Acer employee: "There is a 30 day upgrade time so that customers don't wait to buy a new computer, so if you buy during that 30 day period, you'll get a free upgrade to Windows 7."
If you buy a new (Acer) computer 30 or less days before the release date, you obviously get a free update to W7. If you are planning on buying a new PC then that's good news, if you already have....then not so much.
As the usable SP1 version of Vista will only been out for a year and a half I'm hopeful they'll offer a reduced cost upgrade for vista users.
@basicasic - have you used 7 for any length of time basicasic? I ask because not only is Windows 7 a huge improvement over both Vista and XP but it also runs more quickly than the latter.
I'm famed for my hatred of Internet Explorer and a number of other Microsoft services (Hotmail!?!) but you can't tar all products with the same brush. Microsoft has done very well with 7 and it is a worthy and highly recommended upgrade.
@Gordon - Yes. Although I use Ubuntu on my personal systems I make my living building and selling mainly Windows machines. I've tested Windows 7 back to back on a range of boxes ranging from quad-cores down to an Athlon XP1700+ on a range of apps. Windows 7 is not quicker than XP. But even if it was I would not recommend anyone upgrade a stable working XP system to Windows 7. There is no reason unless you like 'pretty' plus it will be costly.
However Windows 7 is a huge improvement over Vista in so many respects. It is excellent and I think anyone contemplating buying a Windows computer in the near future should wait.
Anyone with Vista really should upgrade at the earliest opportunity though if Microsoft had a shred of decency they would offer free upgrades rather than fleece their customers twice.
Anyone with Vista and a moderate interest in computers would expand their knowledge and benefit greatly by taking the opportunity to switch to Linux. Ubuntu is my pick and and a doddle to install.
Not that Gordon needs back up, but I have to concur with him and others on the speed of Windows 7 compared to XP. I'm running the Windows 7 RC on an 2.2 Ghz Athlon XP, albeit with 2 gigs of ram, and it's been far and away a smoother experience then XP SP3.
Just a few short years ago I remember testing Vista and being stunned by how dreadful it was to use. At the same time virtually all the review sites (Trustedreviews included) were shouting from the treetops about how wonderful it was. They gushed their praise.
So forgive me if I take anything any review site says about Windows 7 with a pinch of salt.
Been using w7 for about a month now maybe and it is awesome. What vista should have been and is my main OS with XP gathering dust on the dark side of my hard drive. Havent noticed speed differences either way win 7 v XP but then you probably wouldnt unless you were towards the bottom end of the specs.
Win 7 offers a lot of improvements over XP imo, most of them little things but shouldnt be dismissed. Nothing totally ground breaking imo especially as some was seen in vista, but definetly worthwhile features that have been refined and improved from previous versions.
Personally i would recommend win 7 to everyone, is what vista should have been.
@basicasic "Windows 7 is not quicker than XP. But even if it was I would not recommend anyone upgrade a stable working XP system to Windows 7. There is no reason unless you like 'pretty' plus it will be costly."
Personally I wouldn't be taking any advice or buying anything from yourself since you have completely overlooked all of the additional security that Vista, and Windows 7, introduces. Any existing hardware running XP that is capable of running Windows 7 should be looking to upgrade to take advantage of UAC and Protected Mode for Internet Explorer (yes, I know other browsers are available) to name just two security enhancements.
I've been running Windows 7 on my netbook (Atom 1.6 / 2GB RAM) since the beta and I'm very happy with the performance so if that hardware can run Windows 7 there can't be many XP machines that aren't capable.
We're sorry. We were unable to report abuse at this time.
We limit the number of reactions an individual user can submit over a given period for quality reasons. You have currently reached that limit. Please try resubmitting your abuse report again later.
Comment is too long. Enter 500 characters or less.
Comments